Viral Video of the Day

The Japanese may have a reputation for Samurais, sushi, and saki. But perhaps what they should be most celebrated for is their steadfast devotion to readiness in all forms.

This committment to preparation was recently, and hilariously, illustrated by the staff at the Tama Zoo outside of Tokyo, who performed an all-out earthquake dress rehearsal where they were able to review necessary procedures to recapture escaped animals in the event of a natural disaster.

Perhaps this dedication to readiness has something to do with the Fukushima fallout, which sadly forced many of our Japanese counterparts to rebuild their lives after the devastating blow handed down my mother nature in the spring of 2011.

Or maybe they are just have a little too much time on their hands?  

In any case, Carrie Gracie, of BBC News, echoed our thoughts when she gave us a play-by-play of the drill in action:

"Here comes the tranquilizer gun. I was trying to work out earlier whether this was really…we're going to get a staged death any moment. Um, I don't know if this is really a very useful exercise, but it is a good death anyway."

Thank you Japan for always being ready and for making all of our Wednesdays a little bit brighter.